Young driver car insurance

A: You probably can't wait to get behind the wheel and drive, but there are a few crucial things you'll need to sort out first. You'll need a car, of course, which is taxed and MOTd. And you'll need to sort some car insurance. Take your time when choosing a car as it will have a huge influence on how much you pay for car insurance.

A: The internet is a great place for car insurance, but it might not be the best idea to go with the first quote you receive simply because you're desperate to get on the road. Car insurance for young and new drivers won't be cheap, and the first quote may be much more expensive than you can get elsewhere. Shopping around can help ensure you're getting the best possible price on your insurance, which is why comparison sites are a great idea.

A: According to the road safety charity Brake, one in four 18 to 24-year-olds will crash within two years of passing their test, with young male drivers likely to be involved in many more crashes than young female drivers. The lack of experience in young and new drivers generally means that traditional insurers feel they are more risky to insure. It doesn't matter how good or safe you are as driver, if you fall into the new or young driver category, your insurance is going to be expensive.

A: Yes, telematics insurance (also known as black box insurance) is an effective way to combat expensive policies. With a device-based policy insurers get to see how the driver really behaves on the road and safe drivers can save lots of money as a result. Young and new drivers can benefit by getting cheaper car insurance at the outset. Then, if they drive well throughout the policy, they could save money at renewal, because the priced will be based on their driving, not the stats associated with their age.

A: As part of your car insurance, you will agree to have a small device fitted in your vehicle (often, the device is fitted so discretely that you won't even realise it's there). The device collects data for every driving journey you make and will record information about different aspects of your driving. You will be able to view the data on a personalised Dashboard. By reviewing this information, you'll be able to see the positive aspects of your driving as well as any instances of potentially dangerous or illegal behaviour. You can visit our telematics page for much more detailed information on how the technology behind telematics insurance works.

A: At Drive Wiser, we only offer black box insurance to young drivers over the age of 22. However, our policies do not carry unnecessary penalties or fines for every day driving once you take one out with us. We want our drivers to have control; not restrictions. Which is why our policies do not come with curfews or mileage limitations. As long as every question you answered before setting up your policy was true, that’s all we need! 

A: The device records data for every journey you make, so, if you're involved in an accident, it can help to prove what happened if you need to make a claim. Acting as a fact box, the telematics device can show your insurer what speed you were travelling at and the forces involved in an impact. It could help prove you were not at fault, therefore protecting your No Claims Discount and excess, and if you were at fault, the information will help us to settle the claim as quickly as possible. Because the device sends out details about the vehicle's location, it can also be used to track a vehicle in the event of theft. Once you've reported the theft to the police, you can call our 24/7 Stolen Vehicle Helpline, and our team will do all they can to help the police track and recover the vehicle.

A: Sometimes adding another driver to your policy can help bring down the price of insurance and you can still do this with a telematics policy. The idea is that by adding a named driver who has more experience (ideally someone with a clean licence and no claims), this will reduce the chances of the vehicle being involved in an accident. However, there is a word of warning here. If you are going to be driving the car most often, then you must put yourself down as the main driver, not your mum or your dad, and definitely not your mate who has three points on his licence. Lying about the main driver to get cheaper car insurance is an illegal practice known as "fronting". When your insurer finds out that you've lied, it could invalidate your whole policy and leave you without insurance altogether.